Condition indicator for low-water alarms



Feb. 24 1931. F. M. ROBY 1,793,869

CONDITION INDICATOR FOR LOW WATER ALARMS Fild 001'.- 21, 1927 gwuewtoz W 777. ww, mam, MM 02W Patented Feb. 24, 1931 a a EDsTATEs PATENT OFFICE FRANK M. ROBY, F CLEVELAND, OHIO CONDITION INDIC TOR. FOR LQW-WATER ALARMS Applio at ion filed ember 21, 1927. Serial No. 227,759.

This invention relates to low water alarms gitudinal vertical section through the valve. for boilers and more particularly to means In thedrawings, indicates a boiler to for indicating the Operative condition of the which a low water alarm of the float type alarm. p may be attached. One type of such alarm is Low water alarms, partieularly those of mounted withina casing 11 and has a float the float type are usually so constructed that actuated valve which is arranged to operate they will actuate an alarm indicating member an-alarm member such as a whistle 12. a The by steam pressure whenever the water level passage of steam to the whistle is controlled in the boiler drops below a predetermined by the rise and fall of water in the float "10 point. Accordingly, when a boiler is being chamber.

blown down and drained in the roiindhouse The steam for actuating the whistle may the alarm is actuatedfor a compartively long be taken from the steam space in the boiler period of time before the pressure drops to a and may flow through connection 15, conduit point where it is not high enough to sound the 16, hand operated valve 17. and conduit 18, alarm. The continual operation of the alarm from whence it may enter the valve chamber 65 is an annoyance to the attendants and thenatwhich 'lis indicated in general at 19. Details ural tendency therefore is to remove or to of construction of such float and valve chammuflle the alarm whistle. So 'far. as I am her as well as the manner in which an alarm aware, no valve has been providedforconof this type may be operated is illustrated trolling the flow of steam to the alarm mem and described in my co-pending application, her, for the reason that there is danger of Serial No. 227,760, filed October 21, 1927,

such valve being closed without any one deforalow water alarm. tecting thecondition of the valve when the To obviate the possibility of operating the boiler is again placed in service. boiler with the alarm valve closed, I employ The principal object of the present invena three-way valve indicated in generalat 1'7. 75

tion is to provide means for enabling the Such valve has an inlet passageway 20 and steam supply to be shut oif while the boiler two outlet passageways indicated at 21 and is being blown down and drained, and whidh respectlvely. The ports leading to such outwill preclude the possibility of again startlet passageways are disposed opposite each M ing the boiler without opening the valve. other, whilea valve head is arranged between to I accomplish this object by using prefer the ports and is adapted to open one before ably a three-way valve having one inlet and the other is closed. Such valve head isshown two outlets. The inlet connected to the at as being attached to a stem 26, which in source of steam supply One 01 the outlets turn is threaded at 27 to engage a correspond- .35 is connected to the alarm and the other outingly threaded portion 28 in the valve hous-;. let leads to the atmosphere. The two outlets ing. A handle 29 attached to the stem funcare disposed opposite each other and the valve tions to permit operation of the valve head. head is arranged to move between the open- The passageway21 communicates with conings, so as to open one when the other is duit l8,which in turn leads to the alarn'lwhile closed. Thus, if the connection to the alarm the passageway 22 leads to the atmosphere. so

should be closed, steam will be allowed to To prevent the atmospheric passageway from escape to the atmosphere where it will be at being stopped-up by an attendant, I have ilonce detected by an inspector. \Vhen the atlustrated such passageway as leading into an mospheric opening is closed the connection to extension 80, which has a plurality of small the alarm will have been opened. openings 31 leading therefrom. The exten- 95 A preferred means for carrying out my insion may be integral with a threaded member vention is illustrated in the drawings in con- 32, which functions as a cap for the end of nection with a low wateralarm, which is the valve housing, andalso carries the seat shown in end elevation in Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a for shutting oil the steam to the atmosphere. 1 plan View of the alarm, and Fig. 3 is a lon- With the alarm illustrated and described, loo

it is obvious that under normal conditions the valve head will be in the position shown in'Fig, 3. Under suchconditions the steam will have direct communication with the conduit l8 and will be'prevented from escaping to the, atmosphere. At infrequent intervals the valve head will be withdrawn to close the passageway 21 and to open the passageway 22. At such times any steam in the boiler willescape to the atmosphere in such large quantities as tobe noticeable to the-inspector or engineer. Thus there would be no danger of the boiler being operated with the valve in the wrong position. I

Iclaim: a I

,1, The combination with; a-boiler, of avlow water alarm indieating I member associated therewith, said-boiler having an atmospheric discharge opening independently or the alarm indicating member, and manually operable means for controlling the flow. of steam to said member and-to said discharge opening respectively, said me'ansbeing arranged to permit theflow of steam to the at-V mosphere when the flow of steam'to said member is-shut off. r. I

r 2. The combination. with a boiler, of a steam conduit leading therefrom, an alarm indicating member connected to the conduit, an atmospheric bleed also connected to the conduit, valve means including a single manually operable member associated with the conduit for directing the flow of steam from the source of supply either to the alarm indicating member or to said bleed. j I

,;3. In combinat'on, a boiler, a low water alarm indicating member associated therewith, a steam 'connectionbet-ween the boiler and said member, a valve in said connection, said valve being'adapted totdirect the flow of steam from the boiler either to the atmosphereor to said member,'each action being to the exclusion of the other. I

a. In combination, a boiler, -a low water alarm indicating member associated there with, a steam connection between the boiler and member, means associated with said connection tor'directing steam to the member or to the atmosphere, each to'the exclusion of the other, said means being operable to eti'ect substantially simultaneouschange of direction in steam flow. I I

5. The combination with-a'low water alarm indicating member, of a'source of steam supply for actuating the member, a conduit leading from said source of supply to the member, a valve in said conduit, said valve having one inlet and a plurality of outlets indewith the source of supply, one of the outlets beingin communicationwith the member and the other outlet being in communication with the atmosphere, and means associated with thevalve for closing one outlet and opening the ther. I

theoperating member of the valve having a suitable head which in one direction its movement coacts on one side with one seat and in the other direction oi movement coacts on the other side with the other seat. I

7 The combination with a low watcr alarm and a steam boiler, of a conduit from the boiler,.a valve casing having an inlet connected with the conduit and two outlets extending in opposite directions, one connectedwith the low'water alarm and the'other with theatmosphere, said outletsterminating in opposed seats, a movable valveplug between'said seats adapted onone side to enone'seat and on theother side to engage the other seat, and a rotary stem on which said plug is mounted, saidstem having a threaded connection with the valve casing whereby rotation of the stemmayehange the presentation of the valve plug from one seat to the other. I r I In testimony whereof, I hereunto atlix my signature. I

FRANK ROBY.

pendent, the inlet being in communication 7 

